Safe and Sound
by SPNAngelGirl
Summary: They relied on each other during the end of days. Grew closer as they fought the unknown. And were pushed apart as one led a small group of survivors and the other drowned in drugs. But the past that has brewed in the background will be pushed forward and the two will be forced to consider a truth they had almost forgotten. 2014!Dean and Cas. Oneshot


**Hey Everyone**

**Well here is a little Destiel one-shot for you all. And yes the title is taken from the famous song Safe and Sound by Taylor Swift. Actually this whole one-shot is based on the song. I heard it for the first time and instantly thought of 2014!Dean and Cas and just had to write something about it. Oh and for those of you following Wings of Prophacey, a new chapter is coming soon I promise :) Btw just so you guys know this is unbeta'd, all mistakes are mine. Now without further ado here is what you came to read, angst GALORE!**

**Edit: Now the story has been beta'd by my wonderful friend AkitaFallow, who was kind enough to take a look. Thanks Girl :)**

**Disclaimer: I've been trying to persuade Eric Kripke to give me the rights to Supernatural, or at least just Castiel but so far no luck.**

* * *

"_Cas, what's wrong?"_

_It was the end of days as Dean knew it. Lucifer had gotten to Sam, monsters were increasing by the masses and the world was basically going in the toilet. The angels had all left the earth; after Dean had told Michael to go shove it half a year ago, they had packed up and hightailed it to another world, or dimension, or wherever they flew off to. All but one-and that one had just crash landed into Bobby's living room. The one whom Dean was now kneeling in front of on the floor. _

_Castiel turned fear-stricken eyes in his direction, and Dean was taken aback by just how much emotion was present in those shining blue orbs. He took a deep, shaky breath before telling Dean about how his powers were starting to fail. How because of the absence of the angels his grace was leaving him. He had had suspicions for a while, had thought it was just an effect of the Devil's control, but as soon as flying started becoming increasingly difficult he had known something was very wrong. It had taken great concentration and a number of crash landings to be able to make it there to Dean_

_Dean was in shock from the news. Castiel was losing his grace, the very thing that made him an angel and what he guarded with his life. And he was losing it because of Dean- always for Dean. He tried to console his best friend, tried to reassure him that everything was going to be okay, that they would figure this out. _

_His reassurances were cut short when Castiel, mighty Angel of the Lord, started to cry. Dean was paralysed where he was kneeling, staring at his friend. Cas had never once shown so much unabashed emotion, and to see it was frightening. Then the angel turned his head up slightly to look at him. _

"_Dean," he said weakly, a few tears falling down his cheeks. "I am afraid." The fear was so clear in his light blue eyes, his voice so quiet when he pleaded. "Please don't leave me alone."_

_The plea was the last straw for Dean- his non-chick-flick moments rule be damned, he couldn't take seeing his angel so vulnerable and asking for help. He reached out and wrapped Castiel in his arms, pulling him closer and looking deep into his watery eyes. _

"_I will _never_ let you go," he promised. The words sank in, and fresh tears brimmed in Cas' eyes and trickled down his cheek. Dean pulled him closer until he was leaning against his side, head nuzzled under his chin. "You never have to worry about being alone, Cas; I'm never going to let anything happen to you." And with that he leaned down and captured his lips gently with his own. _

_When they parted, Dean reached up to wipe the tears off Cas' cheeks, then leaned in and kissed his forehead. Castiel leaned into the touch and Dean held him tight against his chest. He told him to close his eyes and not to think about the outside world and the problems it held, and to just think about here and now, about them. Because they were together, no one could hurt them, they were safe and sound. _

OoOoO

Dean woke abruptly, the ceiling jerking into his view as the pictures of the dream slowly faded. He lay there staring into the dark for a long time, thinking about what he had just seen. The memory was from so long ago and yet it was so clear that the emotions from the moment were palpable. The anger at the stupid world, the heart break for his friend, the guilt, the kiss.

Dean shook his head, trying to battle that thought. Tried to erase the memory of just how right it felt to hold Castiel close to his chest, run his hands down his back in comfort and to kiss him gently. That had been so long ago, the first time they allowed themselves to touch the other in that way, and if Dean kept thinking about it he would have to admit to himself that he missed it, deeply. Missed the connection he had made with Cas, before he pushed him away. Before he failed to keep his promise.

Because he had failed- failed to do what he said he would. He had promised Cas that he would never let him go, never leave him alone in the world, and would protect him from the shadows that would have consumed him. But that's exactly what he had done; he had used his grief and anger to push him farther away instead of drawing him closer. Had left him practically alone in this dying world with nothing but a bottle of pills to keep him company. His carelessness and anger at everything had played a large part in, if not the entire fault for, digging Castiel into the dark pit he was now in.

Dean reached up and pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes against the emotions and memories trying to force their way to his attention. He couldn't deal with this now. After years of turning himself off, shutting out his old self in order to better deal with the situation he had been handed by fate, he couldn't drudge up the past, not when he was so close to his goal. He turned onto his side to face the wall and closed his eyes tight, trying to fall back into the dark world of sleep.

* * *

_The empty motel room was dark, musty and quiet when suddenly the old wood door burst open and two figures came rushing in, slamming the door hard behind them. As one they spotted the tall dresser on the far side of the room and rushed towards it, pulling it from its spot against the wall and dragging it to the door, effectively barring the entrance from the beings they knew were lurking outside in the city streets. _

_Castiel leaned back against the dresser, hands on his knees and breathing deeply, trying to get air back into his lungs and coughing slightly from the dust and soot that had been stirred into the air by their abrupt entrance. It was just their luck that they would be intercepted by a pack of Croats almost halfway across the city from their safe spot. Running full sprint with duffle bags full of weapons on your back was no easy feat, even for a fast runner like him. After his grace had left and the ability to fly was lost, Castiel found he had still been gifted with speed in his feet. He couldn't '_zap'_ from one side of the world to the other in a second anymore, but he was a faster runner then any human before him. It came in handy in times like this._

_A noise to his left brought Castiel's attention to the other occupant in the room. Dean had pushed himself away from the dresser and was walking over to a corner where their hastily tossed duffle bags lay sprawled across the floor. He bent down, picked up the first one and brought it over to one of the small beds in the room, unzipping it and starting the process of checking and taking stock of their weapons and ammunition alike. _

_Castiel pushed himself off of the dresser, eyes taking in the room around him. There wasn't much to see in the minimal light he had- in fact, now that he thought about it, the room was almost pitch black. He could feel the instant panic starting to rise in him at the observation and did his best to keep it at bay. As well as gaining speed, Castiel had also developed an uncomfortable fear of the dark. It was oppressive, eerie, and it reminded him far too much of his lost grace. And try as he might he just couldn't keep the feelings down, so before he knew it he was hurrying over to the room's only window. _

_Castiel arrived at the window and reached for the tattered curtain. There had been a moon in the sky when he had been outside, which meant if he looked out at the right angle he would be able to see the soft light it gave off. He pulled back the shaggy fabric and looked up, expecting to see the silvery glow cascading across the broken parking lot. But instead his eyes were drawn to the far horizon, where just over the city's skyline a mix different colors were present. The clouds above the building were tinted an orange color, flecked with bits of red and flashing yellow. A fire had been started at the far side, a couple streets from them. The majority of the inferno was hidden by the black silhouettes, but along with the changed clouds, small bits of flame licked up over the roof of some of the smaller buildings. _

_He sat at the window for what felt like an eternity and watched, mesmerized by the scene in front of him. The fire had already grown big enough that the light of it had reached the parking lot and was dancing across the cracked pavement and up the motel walls. Then a strong hand fell onto his thin shoulder, the grip firm and yet gentle at the same time. Castiel turned to see Dean standing over him looking out the window over his head. He laid eyes on the hidden blaze and shook his head, letting out a soft sigh. _

"_There's no need to look out the window anymore, Cas," he said, pulling the curtain closed and taking a hold of Castiel's arm. He led the smaller man away from the window and over to the only other bed in the room, flopping down on one side and patting the space beside him invitingly. Castiel took the indication and climbed onto the bed, lying down beside Dean, who put his arm around his shoulders and pulled him closer. _

_The sounds of ravaging Croats running ramped through the streets and the odd scream made it difficult to just lay there. Add in the fact that the dark had once again sunk its teeth into the room and Castiel was ready to bolt. But Dean seemed to sensed just how frightened and helpless the former angel felt, even if said person didn't even know. because he wrapped his strong arms around him and brought him up to lean against his sturdy chest. Then he leaned down, kissing him gently on the forehead and telling him to close his eyes and not to worry, the sun would be up before he knew it and they would be fine. _

_Then Dean started humming to him, a simple little tune that sounded like it would have been a much happier song if done under different circumstances. The melody in itself was calming, but Castiel still felt too tense to even think of sleeping, even with his eyes closed. That's when Dean started to sing. _

"_Hey Jude, don't make it bad_

_Take a sad song and make it better_

_Remember to let her into your heart_

_Then you can start to make it better."_

_The words drifted through the air into Castiel's ears and he felt his body slowly start to relax. Even though there was no music backing him up the song was amazing to hear, the beauty of it made a bit more by just the fact that it was Dean singing it to him. Castiel grabbed onto the melody- curled up into it and fell asleep without fear. Because they were together, no one could hurt them. They were safe and sound. _

OoOoO

Weary eyes opened slowly, blinking away the bleariness as the room came into view. Castiel lay there for a short time, staring at the curtain-less window; his natural night light was pouring in through the open frame. He stared up at the ceiling of his room with confusion, memories of the dream drifting through his slightly hazy mind.

It wasn't what happened in the dream that confused him, but rather that he dreamed at all. And to have the dream actually be such a vivid memory, as if he was reliving it, was even more puzzling. Castiel hadn't dreamed in quite some time, and there was a reason for that. The pills that he consumed daily stopped the dreams from invading his sleep, tied up the memories that stalked him and shoved them away, leaving blissful ignorance in its place. And that was the point, one of the reasons why he swallowed those small hard lumps that tasted of chalk and filled his brain with a shadowed haze. So he could forget.

Castiel felt his throat tighten up and a small, quick gasp escaped his lips, causing even more confusion until he recognized it for what it was. A dry sob. An overwhelming feeling of sadness jumped him and he felt wetness starting to gather in his eyes. No, he couldn't take this; he had to escape and the faster the better.

Quickly he sat up and reached for the nightstand drawer, wrenching it open and frantically searching through the dark interior. His one hand closed around a circular, plastic shape and with a triumphant cry he pulled the bottle out of the hole. But as he held the container up to his face, the silvery light of the moon lit the inside, revealing that it was empty. He dropped the useless bottle onto the wooden floor in disappointment, his hope for relief being dashed by the discovery. For now, unfortunately, he had to stay sober.

Castiel looked back at the rumpled bed and then around the rest of the dark room, his gaze falling on the far window. Without the reassurance of pills promising dreamless sleep, he was unwilling to try and go back to bed, fearing the memories that would invade his mind once he drifted off. So instead he decided to take part in his favorite activity when sleep evaded him: go for a walk outside in the peaceful light cast from the night sky.

He pushed himself off his bed, throwing a jacket on over top of his shirt, wrinkled from sleep, and pulled on a pair of jeans and boots before heading past the beads hanging from the door frame and out into the crisp night air.

All was quiet outside. The soft grass crunched under his feet as he slowly made his way away from his cabin, wandering aimlessly among the trees. Dew had started to form on the dark green leaves, reflecting the sparse light that sparkled like small diamonds strewn around the area. Seeing the simple sight pulled up small memories, memories of the time when he still had his grace. He had seen the world differently, looked at it with a different perspective than that of those around him. Images had been sharper, feelings stronger and colors more vivid. The simple act of looking at dew gathered on a blade of grass was an experience unto itself, as he could have picked out the sight of every individual molecule if he had wanted to. Now everything seemed muted in comparison, his senses dulled by the humanity he was now a part of.

Castiel shook his head, trying in vain to chase away the unwanted thoughts that were trying to push through his barrier. He continued to walk, hoping that the simple action of putting one foot in front of the other would be enough to distract himself. But against his will, his mind started reminiscing about earlier, happier times.

Images, words and thoughts crowded to the forefront of his brain, forcing him to remember moments before the apocalypse, before he lost his grace and his world had started to crumble in on itself. The sound of amused laughter, the feeling of a strong arm around his shoulders, the image of two young men, a grump with a baseball cap and a sleek black car. The moments played over and over in front of Castiel's eyes until he shut them tight, effectively cutting off the steady stream of pain.

When he opened them again it was to be faced with dark wooden paneling, a pentagram etched into the surface that he recognized instantly. While he had been distracted, his aimless wandering had led him straight to Dean's cabin and right up the porch to the front door.

Castiel almost screamed in frustration, but instead clenched his jaw tight and spun around, dropping heavily onto the top step of the porch. His head fell into his hands, long fingers locking into his dark, mussed hair. He silently cursed his stupid brain and his stupid feet in every language he could remember, tinges of anger, sadness and defeat trickling through as the quiet night seemed to close around him.

* * *

Dean sighed in agitation, using his arms to heave his body over so he was lying on his other side, away from the wall. Ever since he had woken from that dream he hadn't been able to fall back asleep, and frankly, just staring at the splintered wood had started to take its toll on his already frayed nerves.

The time spent awake had left Dean with nothing to do but think, a dangerous thing for him as of late. When he let his mind wander in times like this, it usually didn't contain plans about taking down the devil, or even the simple job of organizing the next city raid. Rather his thoughts were filled with dark images. Faces of the people he had failed when they needed him most floated across his vision, faces frozen in the expressionless mask of death but eyes open to stare at him accusingly. He could almost hear their voices in his head, pleading with him to help them, or angrily demanding why he let them down, whey he abandoned them in their darkest of days. Friends, lovers, relatives, children, even just masses of people he didn't directly know but who he knew were slaughtered because of his mistakes.

Dean could feel himself drifting away into guilt filled recollection, but at the last minute he was pulled out by a small sound. _Is that…humming? _Dean wonder to himself as he sat up in his bed, scratchy blankets sliding down his chest to pool at his waist. He raised his head, ears straining as he tried to pick up the sound he thought he had heard. The silence stretched out, so long that Dean started to question if it was just another figment of his twisted mind. But then there it was again, a quiet melody hummed by a single person drifting through the room and up to Dean's ears.

The tune sounded painfully familiar, the notes gliding around in his brain in a way that made him feel as if he could reach out had grab them, but then they always flittered just out of his reach. Suddenly it came out of nowhere, the name of the song jumping forward to present itself in a flash of neon colors and flaring lights. Hey Jude, the song Mary his mother used to sing to him as a young boy. And that's when a bigger problem presented itself- who was outside his cabin that not only knew one of his most precious piece of music from his childhood, but was also humming it loud enough that he could hear it? Dean didn't know, but he was going to find out.

He threw back the covers and flipped over the edge of the mattress, his bare feet coming to rest on the cold wooden boards of the floor. After slipping on a discarded pair of jeans from a rickety chair in the corner he moved to his bed and reached under the pillow, pulling out his gun. Holding it steady in both hands, he quietly made his way to the door, being careful not to step on any over squeaky boards so as not to attract the stranger's attention. He reached the door and grasped the handle, pulling the door open slowly and peering out into the night.

Castiel was there, sitting on the top step of his porch and looking as if he belonged in another world. He was bathed in the soft light of the moon, the beams playing through his dark hair and illuminating his upturned face. He was wearing a dark blue jacket, jeans and boots, his back slouched, elbows propped up on his knees and head resting in his hands. The picture was so serene, so peaceful that Dean almost felt as if he was intruding on a private moment, but he was too entranced by the scene to turn and leave it. And that's when he heard Castiel start to sing.

"And anytime you feel the pain, hey Jude, refrain,  
Don't carry the world upon your shoulders.  
For well you know that it's a fool who plays it cool  
By making his world a little colder."

He was singing the words to the song softly to himself, his voice delicate like flower petals and, for lack of a better phrase, angelic. And just like that the floodgates opened and memories started pouring in. Memories of himself singing that song to Cas to try and get him to sleep when he fear of the dark was too strong for him to handle, or he was just feeling drained and defeated. Turning his childhood memory into the former angel's lullaby.

Dean felt himself fall into some sort of trance. His feet started to move as if by their own will across the creaky porch to the top step where he leaned against the railing and slid down till he was sitting right beside Castiel. His arms moved up without thought and before he knew it they had encircled Cas' shoulders, drawing the man close to his chest where he placed a gentle kiss on his forehead.

Castiel stuttered to a halt, emotions playing across his face in quick succession like a show put on display for Dean to watch, his hands falling from his face to drop open into his lap. His bright blue eyes were wide and lined with wetness, a few tears leaking out and falling freely down his white cheeks to collect on his chin before dripping on the fabric of his jeans as fresh memories bombarded him harshly.

Dean started singing from where he heard Cas leave off, reaching up to wipe the wet trails from his face and stroke fingers gently through his hair. The words slid off his tongue smoothly, made so from years of practice singing to the precious bundle in his arms.

Hey Jude, don't let me down.  
You have found her, now go and get her.  
Remember to let her into your heart,  
Then you can start to make it better.

Castiel leaned back into Dean's chest, letting himself slowly melt into the strong arms he had missed so much, a whole lot more than he had originally thought was possible until faced with them once again. Eventually he joined in with Dean as the song progressed to its end. Their voices rose up to mix and blend into the night around them as they held each other close, fitting together perfectly as if Fate herself had written it to be this way.

So let it out and let it in, hey Jude, begin,  
You're waiting for someone to perform with.  
And don't you know that it's just you, hey Jude, you'll do,  
The movement you need is on your shoulder.

Who knows what tomorrow holds- another battle, another fight, it's impossible to say. But for this one moment, this single time here on a small step under the moon they can forget. Forget about the drugs, the yelling, the Croats, the Devil, everything. For this one precious night they can stand back and take a deep breath. Because they are together, no one can hurt them, they are safe and sound.

* * *

**And there you have it. Any comments you may have are always welcomed so you know what to do, just click the little blue Review button below! A chocolate covered statue of the Supernatural character of your choice awaits you :) Until Next Time**

**SPNAngelGirl**


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